Just when he thought big electric bills were behind him, Sharp is using all of his energy preparing for a megawatt legal battle.

"I intend to follow through with it," Sharp said. "I'm going to follow through with it. I don't care what it costs me."

Hoping to bask in the savings, Sharp said he hired a local solar energy company, U.S. Solar, to install panels on the back of his roof. More than a year later, Sharp said the $9,000 system has never worked.

"This guy should not be in business, and he's going to hurt other people with this, and it's time to get him," Sharp said.

Sharp said the most shocking part of his experience was finding nearly identical applications for the Kansas City Power and Light Solar Rebate Program. The first application was for his 36-panel array. The second was for nearly twice as many, including blueprints for panels covering every inch of his roof.

In an industry group's recent filing with the state, it claims U.S. Solar did twice the work and received twice the rebate, a check for $32,000. It said it failed to pass the money along to the homeowner, as it should have.

"That's when I got an attorney because I knew he's been lying to me all the time, and I was very upset," Sharp said.

KCPL confirmed it's not accepting new rebate applications from U.S. Solar after an audit revealed numerous cases where the St. Joseph company wasn't installing as much green energy as it claimed.

U.S. Solar said in Sharp's case, it was a mistake, one it corrected later that year by issuing KCPL a refund.

In a phone interview with U.S. Solar owner Trevor Dryden, he said the scope of the project on Sharp's roof changed after they had applied for the rebate.

"You have no idea what's going to fit on there until essentially the day those installers go to put it on there, so changes are going to happen," he said.

When asked whether installers should know the size of the panels and the size of the roof and should be able to figure it out with simple math, he said that's not always the case.

"You know (know those things) for the most part, but the cuts, the designs, the customers -- those can change," Dryden said.

Dryden said he told Sharp the solar panels may not work because of a backyard shade tree, but he sold him the system anyway.

"Reputable solar companies don't do that," said Susan Brown, a board member for the Missouri Solar Energy Industries Association. "I have convinced more people out of solar than I have sold them solar. Sometimes solar doesn't make sense for everybody."

The association has expelled U.S. Solar over Sharp's complaint.

"MOSEIA has a very robust rule regarding ethics within our membership," Brown said.

Other companies, including Kansas City's Brightergy, in that state filing, asked the utility and state to investigate what it calls excessive and improper payments to U.S. Solar.

Sharp said he's so heated, he wants a judge to see the paper trail.

"Because I'm going to get even for this," he said. "In a nice way -- in court!"

KCPL said following its audits, the utility is taking steps to ensure rebate checks go directly to customers and no solar companies. The group of state solar industry companies said they want to stop disreputable companies from operating in Missouri and help customers.

Both Sharp and KCPL said they're cooperating with an FBI investigation into U.S. Solar's owner, but the agency won't comment. Dryden said he's aware of a subpoena, but not an investigation. His attorney declined comment.

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